The Ole College Try

Alabama-LSU week is finally here.  I know we have been hyping this game up all year, but now it is upon us.  Hope it lives up to the hype.

Game of the Week

Memphis Tigers 54 - SMU Mustangs 48.  Yes the Artist Formerly Known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party was this week and ended in a 1 touchdown spread, but the hype was right with this ESPN GameDay game.  Lots of points, including 38 total points in the final quart, the losing quarterback - Steve Buechele - throwing for 456 yards and 3 touchdowns, an undefeated falling on the road to a once defeated, Memphis making its claim to the Group of 5 bid on New Year's Day, and all on prime time.  Phenomenal game.

Best Team Performance

Oregon Ducks.  On the cusp of the first College Football Playoff Rankings, the 7th ranked and once defeated Oregon Ducks made a statement by heading to Los Angeles to play the suddenly spry USC Trojans and smacked the Trojans 56-24 to make a claim for a top 7 spot in the playoff rankings.  This is exactly where Oregon wants to be as four (or five if Georgia leaps tham) of the teams likely to be ranked ahead of them will have to play each other as LSU-Alabama play this week, Penn State and Ohio State will play later this year (unless one falters) and Georgia will likely play the LSU-Alabama winner in the SEC Championship game.  By being ranked 7th or 8th, Oregon will have a legitimate shot at the playoffs.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Florida State Seminoles.  A team looking for a signature win, even though only 4-4, gets to play its signature rival who is likewise in a mediocre spiral at home.  Miami soundly defeats the Seminoles 27-10 behind 313 passing yards from Jarren Williams.  Florida State responds by firing head Coach Willie Taggert, despite an $18 million buyout.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Chuba Hubbard, RB - Oklahoma State Cowboys.  Much like my analysis last week for Chase Young in which I stated that sometimes you know some players deserve so much praise, but I hold off knowing that an opportunity will come int he future to mention them, I have not mentioned Chuba Hubbard yet this year.  But, the likely first-team All-American running back definitely deserve it this week as the nation's leading rusher gained 223 yards and scored 3 TDs on only 20 carries as Oklahoma State defeated TCU 34-27.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Georgia Bulldogs.  Yes, this is supposed to be an individual award, but watching Georgia hold Florida to only 21 yards rushing for the game needs to be noted, especially when contrasted with the fact that Georgia rushed for 119 against the supposedly vaunted Florida Gators defense.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Antonio Gibson - KR - Memphis Tigers.  Ok, so this is for more than just his returning, but Gibson did return 3 kicks for 159 yards and 1 touchdown, while also amassing 97 yards rushing (with 1 TD) and 6 receptions for 130 yards (with 1 TD).

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Defensive Backs - Harvard Crimson.  Holding a 6-3 lead on the undefeated Dartmouth Big Green, Dartmouth quarterback Derek Kyler heaved a 43 yard desperation pass into the end zone as time expired, and as one defensive back for Harvard went to tip the ball down, another DB hits him, so that the ball deflects up in the air where Masaki Aerts comes down with the game winning touchdown.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Willie Taggert - Florida State Seminoles.  He was doing such a bad job that the school fired him after the game..

Breakthrough Performance

Lawrence Gager, WR - Georgia Bulldogs.  The Miami transfer showed that he is more than just a big receiver than can outjump cornerbacks in the end zone.  Cager showed flashes as a legitimate big-time receiver with his 7 catches (one hotly contested - and reviewed - and likely still not a catch) for 132 yards an 1 TD in Georgia's 24-17 defeat of the Florida Gators.

Finally

Justin Herbert, QB - Oregon Ducks.  Herbert has had games with better numbers, but this was a truly definitive mark on the college football championship by the Oregon quarterback.  Herbert, who likely would have been the number 1 pick had he entered the draft last year, came back to Oregon, and with this 21-26 performance, allowed Oregon to cruise to their 56-24 victory over USC, and lie just behind the SEC and Big 10 in the college football playoff standings, waiting for those teams to eliminate each other.

Impact Injury

Tua Tagavailoa, QB - Alabama.  It is still Tua.  How he performs could largely determine how Alabama will do against LSU.

Team Rising

Georgia Bulldogs.  People were writing them off because they were beaten AT HOME, but a less than stellar South Carolina team.  But, that is the curse of playing in the SEC.  If they can just get over the Auburn hurdle - they will play in the SEC Championship game with a spot in the playoffs awaiting the winner of that game.

Team Falling

North Carolina Tar Heels.  With the pole position for a spot in the ACC Championship game waiting, the Tar Heels took a pit stop losing 38-31 to the Virginia Cavaliers.  Now anything can, and has, happened in the ACC Coastal Division, but this was a big loss for North Carolina.

Player(s) to Watch

Michael Warren II, RB - Cincinnati Bearcats.  Warren gained 141 yards and scored 3 TDs on 18 carries as the Bearcats defeated the East Carolina Pirates 46-43.  Cincinnati's only loss this year was to Ohio State (albeit 42-0)..   

My New Favorite Player

Mason Fine, QB - North Texas State Mean Green.  Fine was 24-39 for 332 yards and 7 TDs, YES 7 TDs.  Then, he showed up at the post-game presser conference in a full-body covering dinosaur costume.  Yes, that it my new favorite player..

Players of the Week (Just Week 7)

Lots of great performances this weekend  really hard to separate the top 10 or 12.

5.  Josh Love, QB - San Jose State Spartans.  Love through for 439 yards and 2 TDs, as the Spartans fell to Boise State 52-42.

4.  Isaiah Spiller, RB - Texas A and M Aggies.  Spiller gained 217 yards and 3 TDs in the Aggies 45-14 victory over University of Texas at San Antonio.

3. A.J. Dillon, RB - Boston College Eagles.  Dillon gained 242 yards and scored 3 TDs as Boston College soundly defeated Syracuse 58-27.

2.  Antonio Gibson, WR - Memphis Tigers.  See above.

1.  Chuba Hubbard, RB - Oklahoma State.  See above.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Ohio State (1) v.Alabama (4)/ (2)  Louisiana State v. (3) Clemson

Remaining Unbeatens

Alabama, Baylor, Clemson, LSU, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State,

Remaining Winless Teams

Akron, New Mexico State, Rice

Rant(s) of the Week

Short rant - but can we make replay so that the replay official actually rules what is seen on the replay?  I am talking to you SEC refs.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

Given that I feel Ohio State defensive lineman Chase Young is by far the best player in college football, this week's two-fer trivia question is about defenders and the Heisman Trophy.  Charles Woodson is the only defensive player to win the Heisman trophy (and even then he played some offense and returned kicks).  Other than Woodson, which defensive player placed highest in the Heisman voting, and who was the highest placing defensive player in the Heisman voting last year?

The answer is Hugh Green from Pittsburgh, who finished second in 1980 and Manti T'eo from Notre Dame, who finished second in 2012.  The secondary answer is Quinnen Williams from Alabama, who finished 8th last year.

Match up(s) to Watch

5. Vanderbilt v. Florida - Only because I will be in attendance.

4.  Iowa v. Wisconsin  - Can Wisconsin turn its season around to finish with a high bowl game, maybe Outback or Citrus?

3.  Harvard v. Columbia - Harvard needs to bounce back from the horrendous Hail-Mary defeat at the hands of Dartmouth last week.  

2.  Penn State v. Minnesota - The other battle of the undefeateds this week.

1.  LSU v. Alabama - You probably could have guessed this one.  Since 1982, the road team (at both venues) has won the overwhelming majority of the games.

Trivia Question of the Week

President Donald Trump is expected to attend the Alabama-LSU matchup.  When was the last time a sitting President attended s regular season college game between the top 2 ranked teams, who played, and who was the President?